Racial Abuse in Scotland: An English Perspective
When visiting or living in Scotland, you may wonder about the relationship between Scots and English people. Does racial abuse or discrimination occur in Scotland? From my experience, it is not a common phenomenon, especially among the younger generation and those who do not hold strong nationalist views.
Interactions and Perceptions
Outside of history or nationalist circles, I have never heard anything about Scots hating English people. More often than not, the intermixing between Scots and English is seen as a positive thing. In fact, the interactions I have observed suggest that most Scots do not go hating Anglos. Occasionally, negative behavior may occur, but it is rare. For instance, I have a friend from Canada, who hails from the Scottish community in Nova Scotia, known as 'New Scotland'. He speaks Gaelic and has no problem with English people or people of English descent. Most Scots are like him; they simply do not care whether you are English or not.
Historical and Contemporary Context
When it comes to the past, particularly around 30 years ago, it was more common to encounter racial abuse from some Scots. However, this is no longer the case. Over the last 30 years, attitudes and behaviors have shifted significantly, with modern Scots showing open acceptance and kindness towards English people.
Personal Experiences
?? DISCLAIMER: This section contains real-life anecdotes that may contain offensive language in the original context. Please exercise sensitive reading.
During my 32 years of living in Scotland, which represents half my life, I have never been abused or confronted because of my English accent. However, I have encountered a few instances where people have focused on my accent, but these incidents have not escalated to racial abuse.
For example, in a store opening ceremony for a major supermarket, I had a conversation with a man who was a big fan of Scottish football and disliked the English. Despite the initial mistrust, the conversation was focused on politics, and we eventually got along well. This was not a racially motivated issue; it was simply a manifestation of typical football related banter.
Another incident occurred in Aberdeen, where I was in a bar watching an England vs. USA women's football match on multiple TVs. A group of guys started a conversation with me based on my accent, suggesting they supported the USA. The situation quickly turned into a laughing matter, and even resulted in a few rounds of drinks being bought for everyone involved.
During a work trip to the Kingdom of Fife, I stayed in a small village hotel. One local attempted to provoke me by calling me a 'wee English bastard', but I simply replied with "f off you boring c", and he ceased the behavior after realizing it was getting boring for his crowd.
In a more extreme incident, there was a man in Vegas who was highly intoxicated, wearing a kilt, and under the influence of alcohol. After being served too much, he was asked to leave a bar, but we took care of him, and he stayed until the morning. Although there were some internal conflicts, he received support from the staff and my group.
Conclusion
Most Scots, through personal experience and observation, show respect and tolerance towards English people. While historical and nationalist sentiments may sometimes lead to incidents of racial abuse, modern Scots are generally open to interaction and dialogue. If you engage in positive and courteous behavior, you are likely to encounter a warm welcome and a friendly environment in Scotland.